Telephone lock



March 15, 1927-. Q BETH TELEPHONE LOCK Filed Jan. 5, 1926 I nverbipr j/hron ("mZjBetlz Patented Mar. 1 5, 1927.

PATENT OFI-lCE.

EHBON cm BETH, 0]! LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

TELEPHONE LOCK.

Application fled January A telephone 'not under constant supervision sometimes becomes a heavy tax upon the subscriber because of unauthorized use for outgoing messages; and an object of this invention is to rotect the subscriber from unauthorized 0 arges and to relieve the telephone company from disputation of its bills with res ect to automatic telephones.

. An ob ect is to provide a device whereb such access to the dial of an automatic des telephone as is necessary to call a number, can be prevented without interfering with incoming calls.

A further object is to construct a telephone lock that will accomplish the foregoing objects without being obnoxious to the rule prohibiting attachments to the telephone, and which will not afford any inducement to anyone to tam r with the dial, and the violent removal 0 which attachment is not likely to cause injur to the phone.

This invention is broa new, basic and pioneer in that I provi e a receptacle adapted to receivethe base and the lower portion of the column of an automatic telephone and terminating slightly above the level of the top of the dial and having a bottom to support the-base of the telephone, a cover supported by such bottom and adapted to extend over and to prevent access to the dial, and means to lock the cover in position to cover the dial and prevent its operation.

An object of this invention is to limit the number of outgoing calls to only those persons possessing a key and at the same time putting no limit on incoming calls.

Another object is to provide a device which may quickly and easily be installed for protection of any automatic desk phone and which .will not inany way mar or deface such phone, and which when desired may be quickly and easily removed, for return of the phone to the company owning the same. without gi ving such company any ground for complaint.

Another advantage is compact, light and durable construction affording the above.

enumerated advantages and also admitting of as easy handling and moving about of the phone as though the .device were not present. i

The invention is adapted to serve the objects above stated without interference-with s, 1926. Serial no. 19305.

The accompanying drawing illustrates the invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention locked, with a phone protected thereby.

Fig. 2 is'a plan view of the device locked;

the position the phone is to occupy being indicated in broken lines. i

Fig. 3 is a' section of the device on lines.

a Figs. 1 and 2, with phone in position; I dot and dash lines indicate the lid open to expose the dialyfor use.

Fig. 4 is an. elevation of the device des I tached, looking from the right of Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

Fig. 5 is a view on a smaller scale, of

a stamping from which to make the device;

dotted lines show bend locations.

The invention is not limited to exact sizes and forms of construction and is shown in the form at present deemed most desirable.

1 1s a receptacle in the form ofa case or box formed with a base 2, side walls 3 4, rear wall, 5, top 6 and front wall 7.

The base 2 is'practically square and the space inside the walls 3, 4, 5 and 7 is suflicient to accommodate the telephone base a, and the top 6 extends from the rear wall 5 forwardly and its edge 8 terminates in front of the telephone column b and has a. slot 9, 10 of different widths; the wide portion 9 being at the front of said top 6 and adapted to accommodate the colunm b of the telephone, and the rearward narrower portion 10, being adapted to accommoda e the wires 0 of the telephone.

The case is formed from a stamping substantially shown in Fig. 5. The rear portions 11, 11' of the side walls 3' and 4 are parallel to the folding lines 12 of the base 2.

and the forward portions 13, 13 of the top The tops of the front terminals of the walls 3 and 4.- are equal in height to the front wall 7, and the rear terminals of said side walls 3 and 4, are equal in height to the back wall 5.

The width of the lid 14 is somewhat greater than the length of the slanting top edges 13, 13' of the side walls so that when i the lid is closed it will overlap the front edge it and the top 6 form a cover for the telephone base and dial.

The lock 23 is fixed to the free edge of the lid by any suitable means as by electric welding or by rivets 24; and the locking bolt 25 engages the under side of the projecting edge 8 of the top, thus preventing access to the dial.

The slant of the lid 14 when closed, is practically the same as that of the dial d of the automatic phone to be protected.

When the lid is closed, the telephone is free to receive messages, the top 6 being low enough to allow the receiver 6 to hang free on the switch arm or lever f; and incoming messages can bereceived and responded to in the usual way; but in order to send a message out, it is necessary that the lid be unlocked; and therefore unauthorized persons may be prevented from sending out messages except by permission of the subscriber or someone having a key to the lock.

A la er 25 of felt or the like may be glued to the ase 2 of the case as a rotection to a desk or other furniture on w iich the phone may be supported.

1. A telephone lock comprising a receptacle for. the base and dial mechanism of an automatic desk telephone; a cover to said receptacle provided wvith an opening to accommodate the column of a desk telephone, said cover being ada ted to admit a telephone base and dial an to terminate slightly above the top of the dial; and means to lock said cover to the receptacle,

2. A telephone lock comprising a recep tacle for the base and dial mechanism of an automatic desk telephone; a cover for said receptacle comprising a stationary top provided with an opening to accommodate the column of a desk telephone and a lid to prevent access to the telephone dial and termiterminating slightly above'the top of the dial; a lid hinged to the case and adapted.

to-extend over the dial of the tclephonc; and

means for locking the lid in place.

4. A case adapted to accommodate the base and dial of an automatic desk telephone; a top fixed to the case and extending over the partof the chamber of the case adapted to acconnnodate'the column of a phone; said top leaving the dial of the telephone exposed and provided with a slot to accommodate the column, and a narrow extension. thereof to accommodate the telephone wires; a lid hinged to? the. case and adapted to prevent access to the dial and extending overthe front edge of the top; and a lock to engage the front edge of the top to vhold the lid in closed position.

'5. The case set forth for accommodating the base and dial of an automatic desktelephone; said case being composed of a stamping consistingpof a bottom, bent up rear, front and side walls, and a bent over top: the edges of the walls meeting in pairs and the meeting edges of said walls and to be ing secured together as by electric wel ing; and said top extending only art way over the chamber formed by the nt up walls and provided with a slot to accommodate the. column of a desk telephone.

6. The case set forth for accommodating the base and dial of .an automatic desk telephone; said case being composed of a stamp-- ing consisting of a bottom, bent up rear. front and side walls, and a bent over top; the edges of the walls meeting in pairs and the meeting edges of said walls and top being secured together as by electric welding; and said top extending only part way over the chamber formed by the bent up walls and provided with a slot to accommodate the column of a desk telephone; said front wall being provided with tabs; a lid formed with tabs: a hinge pin; said tabs being bent around the pin to hinge the lid to the front wall; and means to lock the lid to the top.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angcles, California, this 30th day of December, 1925.

EHRON CARL BETH. 

